Water softener

ABSTRACT

A water softener especially adapted for cosmetic use in a water supply system wherein the entire system flow is not subjected to softening. The device is intended for attachment to a faucet and includes a fluid-tight case having an internal resin chamber and an internal regenerant chamber in fluid communication with each other. A first and a second port pass through the case, one of the ports being in fluid communication with each of the chambers in such manner that water entering one of the ports must flow through both chambers to reach the other port. A removable closure gives access to the regenerant chamber so that a packet of regenerant material can be placed therein. A pair of hoses is attached to the ports, and diverter means connects the hoses to the faucet so that water may selectively be passed directly to the user without softening or may be diverted through the softener to deliver softened water. The regenerant is packed in a package, at least a portion of the cover of which is disintegrable upon contact with water, whereby a storable package may be dropped into the regenerant chamber and its contents become available for its intended purpose by the dissolution of the portion.

United States Patent Holler et al.

[ Apr. 4, W72

[54] WATER SOFTENER [72] Inventors: Frank A. Holler, Santa Monica;Radford G. King, Torrance, both of Calif.

{73] Assignee: King-Holler International, Santa Monica,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Dec. 7, 1970 [2]] App]. No.: 95,804

[52] U.S. Cl ..2l0/28l, 210/424, 210/288 Primary Examiner-Frank A.Spear, Jr. AtlorneyAngus and Mon mming ||||f222riill- ABSTRACT A watersoftener especially adapted for cosmetic use in a water supply systemwherein the entire system flow is not subjected to softening. The deviceis intended for attachment to a faucet and includes a fluid-tight casehaving an internal resin chamber and an internal regenerant chamber influid communication with each other. A first and a second port passthrough the case, one of the ports being in fluid communication witheach of the chambers in such manner that water entering one of the portsmust flow through both chambers to reach the other port. A removableclosure gives access to the regenerant chamber so that a packet ofregenerant material can be placed therein. A pair of hoses is attachedto the ports, and diverter means connects the hoses to the faucet sothat water may selectively be passed directly to the user withoutsoftening or may be diverted through the softener to deliver softenedwater. The regenerant is packed in a package, at least a portion of thecover of which is disintegrable upon contact with water, whereby astorable package may be dropped into the regenerant chamber and itscontents become available for its intended purpose by the dissolution ofthe portion.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures for a faucet which will enable a woman towash her hair, or to wash her face, or to carry out other cosmeticapplication with soft water without requiring that the entire systemflow be treated. It is an object of this invention to provide arelatively small water softener case of such size and proportions as maybe placed on the sinkboard of a conventional toilet sink and which isprovided with packaged regenerant means so that the lady herself neednot handle or be concerned with the regenerant material itself, andwhich package can readily be whenever regeneration is required.

A water softener according to this invention includes a fluid-tight casehaving an internal resin chamber and a regenerant chamber influidcommunication with each other. A first and a second port enter thecase, one of said ports being in fluid communication with the resinchamber and the other in fluid communication with the regenerant chamberin such manner that water entering one of the ports must flow throughboth chambers to reach the other port. A removable closure gives accessto the regenerant chamber. A pair ofhoses, one beingattached to each ofsaid ports, provides means for providing flow to and from the watersoftener.

. Diverter means connects the hoses to the'faucet whereby water mayselectively be passed directly to the user without being softened or maybe diverted through the softener prior to return to the diverter inorder to deliver softened water to the user.

This invention will be fully understood from the following detaileddescription and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial cross-section, partly in schematic notation, showingthe presently preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken at line 22 ofFlG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a portion of the system;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic cross-sections showing the function ofthediverter valve of FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are side elevations, partly in cutaway crosssection,showing two embodiments of regenerant packages according to theinvention.

A water softener device 10 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1which includes a fluidtight case 11 having an internal resin chamber 12adapted to be packed with an ion exchange resin 13. This chamber isdivided from part of the internal cavity of the case by a firstperforated barrier 14 which leaves a plenum chamber 15 above the resinchamber. Perforations 16 provide for fluid flow from the resin chamberto the plenum chamber.

A second perforated barrier 17 includes an outer annular imperforateregion 18 and an inner perforated region 19, on one side of which is aregenerant chamber 20. The regenerant chamber 20 is formed inside a neck21 which extends downwardly past a rib structure 22 and includes anexternal thread 23 to receive a cap 24. The cap has a stub 25 inside itbearing upwardly, which stub includes flow passages 26 for purposes yetto be described.

A leg portion 27, which may be tubular, extends below the ribs. Thisportion rests on the drainboard of the sink.

A first port 30 and a second port 31 pass through the wall of the case.A conduit 32 constitutes a continuation of the first port and passesthrough the central portion of the first perforated barrier so as toextend the first port into the plenum chamber.

The second port extends into an annular region 33 where it is incommunication with flow channels 34 such that the second port makesfluid communication with the regenerant chamber, and the first portmakes fluid communication with the resin chamber. The two portscommunicate with each other only through the combination of the twochambers.

Hoses 35, 36 are provided which are preferably, but not necessarilybonded together in parallelism and joined to a diverter valve 40. Thisdiverter valve, which is schematically shown in FIG. 3 is adapted to beattached to a faucet 41. The faucet is a source of water to be softened.The diverter is in the nature of a three-way valve whose positions areschematically shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. For example, in FIG. 4, a valveoperator 42 is shown connecting a supply conduit 43 from the faucet toport 44 which in turn is connected by one of the hoses to the firstport. The outlet port 45 is closed at this setting. In FIG. 5, thediverter valve setting has been changed so that there is a directconnection between supply conduit 43 and outlet port 45. In FIG. 4 thewater is softened by the water softener, and in FIG. 5 it is not.

The diverter also includes a softened water outlet port 46, which comesinto use when the softener itself is in operation. A classical exampleof a diverter valve 40 is generally known in the trade where it isapplied to a faucet and is axially shifted relative to the faucet outletin order to assume the operative positions generally shown by FIGS. 4and 5. It can also function as a siphon-breaker.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show two examples of packages 50, 51 for regenerant 52,which may be common salt, and which may or may not be accompanied byother additives such as those to purge iron ions and the like from theresin, which package includes a cover 53 formed of a material such aspulp or cellulose which disintegrates upon contact with water. The termdisintegrate is used to connote the change from a packaging barrier toremoval as a barrier, whether bydissolution or by structure separationin the nature of separation of fibers or the like. The package willremain integral and readily handled at least until after it is placed inthe softener, so that the lady of the house need not touch its contents.They are enclosed until the package is placed in the regenerant chamber.After the package is contacted by water, the cover will disintegrate, orperhaps even dissolve, so as to make the material available to bedissolved and to provide a brine flush for the resin. Preferably, theregenerant material will be provided as a fairly large crystal so as todissolve slowly.

FIG. 7 shows the use of a cannister 55 with perforated ends 56, 57 withdisintegrable seals 58, 59 at both ends, which on contact with waterwill disintegrate or dissolve to permit flow of fluid through thecannister.

It will be seen that the device provides a convenient means forsupplying limited quantities of softened water wherein, when the resinis in condition to require regeneration, the small cannister need onlybe turned upside down, the closure removed and a new package ofregenerant material dropped therein. Should an old cannister still bethere, it may simply be removed and replaced.

The amounts of liquid involved are not particularly large, and therequirements for sensing the softness of the water are quiteunsophisticated. This is because a lady, when washing her face or hair,will soon be aware whether or not the water is soft enough for herpurposes, and then need only place the regenerant capsule in the chamberand run the resulting brine through the resin for a short time in orderto secure for herself water softened to a degree sufficient for herpurposes.

This invention thereby provides a small, convenient-to-use, andinexpensive structure for the softening water for cosmetic purposes. Itsoutside configuration may be made artful and pleasing to the eye and ingeneral is a useful adjunct to any bathroom or kitchen. It is notintended for general household water supply, but instead for the limitedpurposes of toiletries and the like in which, for modest sums of money,it will survive for long periods of time and make available to the womanimproved skin and hair care.

This invention is not to'be limited by the embodiments shown in thedrawings and described in the description which are given by way ofexample and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope ofthe appended claims.

We claim:

1. A water softener for attachment to a faucet as a source of water tobe softened, comprising: a fluid-tight case having an internal resinchamber and a regenerant chamber in fluid communication with each other,and a first and a second port, one of said ports being in fluidcommunication with the resin chamber, and the other in fluidcommunication with the regenerant chamber in such manner that waterentering one of said ports must flow through both chambers to reach theother port; a removable closure giving access to the regenerant chamber;a pair of hoses, one being attached to each of said ports; and divertermeans for connecting the hoses to the faucet whereby water mayselectively be passed directly to the user without softening, ordiverted through the softener prior to return to the diverter in orderto deliver softened water.

2. A water softener according to claim 1 in which resin is packed in theresin chamber, and a package is placed in the regenerant chamber, saidpackage containing a regenerant and having a cover, at least a portionof which is disintegrable when in contact with water whereby to dissolveand expose the regenerant to water when the package is contacted bywater.

3. A water softener according to claim 2 in which the entire cover isdisintegrable when in contact with water.

4. A water softener according to claim 2 in which the package includes aperforated cannister, in which the perforations are covered by amaterial which disintegrates on contact with water.

5. A water softener according to claim 1 in which a perforated barrierseparates the chambers from one another.

6. A water softener according to claim 5 in which a plenum chamber isformed in the case separated from the resin chamber by a perforatedbarrier, and in which one of the ports is in fluid communication withsaid plenum chamber.

7. A water softener according to claim 1 in which the diversion valve isa three-way valve.

8. A water softener according to claim 7 in which the hoses are joinedin parallelism for a major proportion oftheir length.

1. A water softener for attachment to a faucet as a source of water tobe softened, comprising: a fluid-tight case having an internal resinchamber and a regenerant chamber in fluid communication with each other,and a first and a second port, one of said ports being in fluidcommunication with the resin chamber, and the other in fluidcommunication with the regenerant chamber in such manner that waterentering one of said ports must flow through both chambers to reach theother port; a removable closure giving access to the regenerant chamber;a pair of hoses, one being attached to each of said ports; and divertermeans for connecting the hoses to the faucet whereby water mayselectively be passed directly to the user without softening, ordiverted through the softener prior to return to the diverter in orderto deliver softened water.
 2. A water softener according to claim 1 inwhich resin is packed in the resin chamber, and a package is placed inthe regenerant chamber, said package containing a regenerant and havinga cover, at least a portion of which is disintegrable when in contactwith water whereby to dissolve and expose the regenerant to water whenthe package is contacted by water.
 3. A water softener according toclaim 2 in which the entire cover is disintegrable when in contact withwater.
 4. A water softener according to claim 2 in which the packageincludes a perforated cannister, in which the perforations are coveredby a material which disintegrates on contact with water.
 5. A watersoftener according to claim 1 in which a perforated barrier separatesthe chambers from one another.
 6. A water softener according to claim 5in which a plenum chamber is formed in the case separated from the resinchamber by a perforated barrier, and in which one of the ports is influid communication with said plenum chamber.
 7. A water softeneraccording to claim 1 in whicH the diversion valve is a three-way valve.8. A water softener according to claim 7 in which the hoses are joinedin parallelism for a major proportion of their length.